Meiko Satomura’s NXT UK Women’s title is on the line this week as Isla Dawn looks to win her biggest trinket yet.
Quick Results
Rohan Raja & Charlie Dempsey pinned Saxon Huxley & A-Kid in 8:24 (***¼)
Wild Boar pinned T-Bone in 4:37 (**½)
Jordan Devlin pinned Danny Jones in 4:44 (**½)
Meiko Satomura pinned Isla Dawn in 8:04 to retain the NXT UK Women’s Championship (**¾)
The show opens with a video package of Isla Dawn attacking Meiko Satomura a few weeks ago, and some soundbytes of them both going into tonight’s title match.
Once again we’re back at the BT Sport Studios in London with a live audience… Nigel McGuinness and Andy Shepherd are on the call.
Die Familie (Rohan Raja & Charlie Dempsey) vs. A-Kid & Saxon Huxley
The natural follow-up to the excellent Dempsey/A-Kid match a few weeks ago, then… and a reunion with A-Kid’s special friend from Hartlepool.
They mention A-Kid’s run in NXT 2.0 to date, albeit suspiciously-dubbed in, as we start with Dempsey and A-Kid renewing rivalries. The early skirmishes see the pair trade wristlocks and side headlocks, before a dropkick decked Dempsey. Huxley comes in, as did Rohan Raja, who ran into a bodyslam, before rolling away from an elbow drop. Dempsey tagged back in, but was instantly met with a backbreaker and an elbow drop for a two-count, as A-Kid returned… only to get distracted and suplexed off the middle rope for a near-fall. A chop from A-Kid stings Dempsey, who replied with a wrenching Dragon screw and a half crab… while Raja tagged in to put the boots to the Spaniard.
A-Kid powers back, only to get knocked down by Raja, who began to dominate proceedings with a back suplex. Dempsey’s back with a knee lift to A-Kid for a two-count, before he caught a kick and countered into a neat Fisherman suplex for a near-fall. Going for the arm, Dempsey takes A-Kid into the corner as Raja returned, but A-Kid rolls free and made the hot tag to Huxley.
Saxon runs wild, charging down die Familie before he booted Dempsey… a Thesz press lands for a near-fall, then Saxon went up top for a flying clothesline. Raja breaks up the pin, but gets chased to the outside… Dempsey capitalised on the distraction with a running knee, before a key lock was almost slammed out of. Raja tagged back in, but Huxley gets free and brings A-Kid back into the fray, as a springboard armdrag/headscissors combo put him ahead. We’ve a German suplex to Raja, before Saxon tagged back in and hit a butterfly spinning backbreaker, then a big boot for a near-fall. A double-team with A-Kid and Saxon ends with Dempsey distracting the ref, allowing Teoman to pull A-Kid down before Raja got the win. A really good tag match this, and this feud MUST continue. Perhaps with a loser leaves town stipulation? ***¼
Meiko Satomura’s warming up…
They recap Wild Boar’s return from two weeks ago as he looks to get retribution on what’s now Symbiosis…
Backstage, Amale’s asked about the title match tonight. She’s interrupted by Xia Brookside, who’s fishing for a rematch. Amale says yes… before Xia walked off to make a phone call, as she’s apparently got help coming.
T-Bone vs. Wild Boar
Wild Boar came through the crowd, chasing Symbiosis out of the ring.
When we got going, T-Bone took things into the corner as he seemed upset at Boar wanting to go after Eddie Dennis. Boar mounted T-Bone in the corner with punched, only to get knocked aside. Boar distracts himself by going after Eddie on the outside, but T-Bone threw him into the guard rails, before Boar’s leg was kicked in the ropes. A gutwrench sees Boar get charged into the buckles as T-Bone was having it all his own way. Behind the ref’s back, Eddie Dennis wrapped Boar’s leg around the bottom rope so T-Bone could take a pot shot, before Boar finally broke free with a jawbreaker.
A fallaway slam from T-Bone chucked Boar back into the corner, where a splash led to a near-fall. Boar sidesteps another charge in the corner, returning with a German suplex and a T-Bone suplex (aha!), before he charged T-Bone back into the corner. Primate tries to intervene, but gets knocked down ahead of a leaping DDT to T-Bone for the win as Boar then chased Eddie to the back. This felt a little banana-peely as Boar took a beating, but I kinda dug the crowd’s Duran Duran-inspired chant for Boar. Very Mirko Cro Cop-ish… **½
Isla Dawn is, err, meditating backstage?
Ilja Dragunov replies to Roderick Strong’s challenge from last week… he looks very dapper in his suit, and accepts the challenge. Hopefully he doesn’t take as long as the 9:18 that Solo Sikoa did to beat Roddy on NXT 2.0 this week…
Earlier this week, Kenny Williams is interrupted in the kitchen at the UK PC… and the camera crew followed him outside as the wheel’s really fallen off his car. He threatens something on whoever’s messing with him, as the interviewer asked if this had anything to do with the note
In two weeks – Ilja Dragunov defends the NXT UK title against Roderick Strong. What, no NXT UK Prelude special on ‘Mania weekend this year? Also… they made damn sure not to add any flags for their match graphic, nor to Ilja’s lower-third…
Danny Jones vs. Jordan Devlin
Devlin’s looking to stay on track after his recent loss to Ilja…
Jones reacts by chopping Devlin early, only to get mauled as the Irishman met him with a back elbow in the ropes. In the corner, Jones fires back with chops and kicks, adding in some uppercuts before Devlin snuck past him and charged in a knee to the midsection. Those strikes by the ropes are proving to be a difference… Devlin snaps back on Jones’ arm next, but Jones again fires back with some right hands, only to get swatted down. Wash, rinse, repeat, this time with Jones applying a chicken wing to ripcord into a knee strike, before a knee in the corner and an Exploder out of it nearly got the upset.
A rear naked choke’s blocked by Devlin, who’s taken down into a Skayde special for a near-fall, before another missed knee led to a slingshot cutter from Devlin. The brainbuster follows, and that’s it – a win for Devlin, albeit with a stuttering show. Nothing against Danny Jones, but it’d be nice to get some other folks in his role – it’s past the point where the poor sod’s slotted on this show. **½
Post-match, Devlin bragged about “being so far ahead” of the roster, regardless of losing the title match…
We’ve a video package to build to Ashton Smith vs. Trent Seven as the “qualifier” series for Smith and Oliver Carter’s tag title rematch continues. Smith and Carter have watched a lot of tape ahead of the singles match… while Trent’s been all spiritual by the rail tracks outside the UK PC. That match is next week.
Another video package followed to build up Mark Coffey’s Heritage Cup shot at Noam Dar, which is also next week. Coffey reckons he’s learned from everyone else’s mistakes against Dar, but noted he’s not had many singles matches in NXT UK… with Dar mocking this as being Coffey’s peak on the show.
Also next week, Amale vs. Xia Brookside. Add in Smith vs. Seven and the Heritage Cup match, and that’s our three matches set a week early then!
NXT UK Women’s Championship: Isla Dawn vs. Meiko Satomura (c)
After a long losing run last year, Dawn’s put together a couple of wins – and was in the right place at the right time – to get her title shot here, in a rematch of Meiko’s first match on NXT UK, just over a year ago…
We start with Dawn pushing Meiko away, only to get clubbed and kicked into the ropes. Dawn snuck through the ropes for a Dragon sleeper before she missed a PK… a second kick’s caught, with Meiko fighting back, connecting with a roundhouse head kick and an elbow drop as well. Another elbow drop’s good for a two-count, as Satomura then took things into the corner… Isla uses the ropes to her advantage, hanging Meiko up before dragging her outside for some more stomping. Back inside, Dawn gets a near-fall, then stretched Satomura with a chinlock.
Meiko’s kept on the back foot, with knee strikes nearly winning it for Dawn, before Meiko blocked a Saito suplex. They trade forearms as Dawn’s knocked down, only to return with a pair of knee strikes. A spinning heel kick and a head kick has Isla down on the mat again, with a backdrop driver leaving Dawn in place as Meiko heads up top… only to land in Isla’s knees on a frog splash. A diving kick from Dawn capitalises on that, while Satomura had to kick out of a Fisherman suplex to save the match… Dawn’s caught up top as Meiko goes for a superplex, only to get shoved down. Dawn misses her leap off the top though, then ate an overhead kick before Meiko’s death valley driver led to a near-fall.
Dawn rolls away from a cartwheel knee drop after taking a DDT, but we get a flash finish as Satomura retains with a roll-up. They got past a shaky start, and just about got through the “title match of the month” feeling as thoughts turn to who’s next for Satomura? **¾
Post-match, Isla Dawn tries to steal the title belt, winning a tug of war with the referee for it… before she left through the crowd. Ah, so we get a rematch for physical possession of the title then.
When there’s a live crowd, NXT UK is a relatively tight and focused show. Nothing outstays its welcome, and you’re not bogged down in the rapid-fire segments. It’s a breezy watch, even if there’s the unfortunate feeling that this show is just spinning its wheels with scant upward momentum…